The correlation between optic nerve head topographic measurements, peripapillary nerve fibre layer thickness, and visual field indices in glaucoma.

AIMS

To establish whether the structural parameters provided by the Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT) and the laser diagnostics glaucoma scanning system (GDx) can be used to reflect functional damage in the visual field.

METHODS

62 patients with primary open angle glaucoma underwent examination with the HRT, GDx, and Humphrey field analyser. The relations between the topographic parameters, retinal nerve fibre parameters, and visual field indices were analysed by scatter plot and linear regression.

RESULTS

Among the topographic parameters generated by the HRT, rim area had the best correlation with visual field indices. The "number," maximum modulation, and ellipse modulation generated by the GDx also had correlations with visual field indices. The correlations were better for the sectoral parameters than the global parameters. However, great interindividual variation was found in the association.

CONCLUSION

Although relations were found between some topographic parameters, RNFL parameters, and visual field indices, great interindividual variation limits the prediction of one parameter from the other. Therefore, both structural and functional aspects should be evaluated in order to obtain full characterisation of the glaucomatous damage for clinical judgment and treatment.